Minnesota Vikings: Which young defender will be the next star?
By Dan Zinski
4. Jayron Kearse
Some folks are worried that at 6-4 Jayron Kearse is a bit too tall to effectively play safety in the NFL. As many people have pointed out in recent weeks (especially people affiliated with the Vikings), George Iloka is also 6-4. And what head coach developed Iloka into one of the NFL’s best safeties? That would be Mike Zimmer. I’m not saying Zimmer looked at Kearse and saw the next Iloka, I’m just saying Zimmer knows full-well that being 6-4 need not be an impediment to a man playing safety at a high level.
Kearse’s somewhat lanky and thin build of course is not the only concern about him; he was also ripped by scouts for a certain lack of urgency leading to too many busted coverages. It seems Kearse will need a little push in the back if he’s going to grow as a player. There’s a lot about Kearse’s game that needs to be cleaned up before Zimmer and company can trust him as a starter, but with his athleticism, the potential is there for him to grow into a top-flight safety.